Angel >> Aboriginal languages According to a study released this week by Statistics Canada, there are 50 different aboriginal languages spoken in Canada. Unfortunately, they are quite literally turning into angels: they're dying fast. Only three of them--Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut (shown here) remain viable enough to survive beyond two more generations. Twelve of the 50 are considered seriously endangered, and the remaining 35 may last for only one more generation--unless measures are taken to preserve them. Hopefully, aboriginal schools and other initiatives can bring these languages back to life.

Insect >> Statistics that "help the poor" by underestimating their poverty For years now, the Fraser Institute has been harping on the fact that Statistics Canada's poverty line has been set too high. Now, the federal government is on their side: Ottawa and the provinces are currently working on a new definition of poverty which, if accepted, would plunge Canada's poverty rate by 30 per cent overnight. It would also, incidentally, cut the annual cost of eradicating child poverty from $6.6 billion to $3.3 billion--but Prime Minister Jean Chrétien insists he's not spearheading the initiative to save money, but to "help the poor." Meanwhile, as technocrats wrangle over statistics, even the United Nations is berating Canada for its high poverty levels. No statistic will ever solve this problem.